Two pontoons, one bend of the Brisbane River, five minutes on the water. Brisbane City Council's F21 cross-river ferry shuttles between Oxford Street at Bulimba and the Teneriffe bank opposite, on a Translink fare of 50 cents.
Translink timetable as published in its Journey Planner and in its official GTFS feed (valid 7 October to 6 December 2026), both read on 7 October 2026 Translink – F21 Bulimba / Teneriffe timetable · 2026-10-07
Why would anyone need a timetable for a five-minute river crossing? Because the F21 is not quite the turn-up-and-go shuttle it looks like. On weekdays the KittyCat leaves Bulimba every 10 to 20 minutes, but between 10am and 11am it does not cross at all, and the same happens between about 7.15pm and 8.30pm. On Friday and Saturday nights, by contrast, it keeps going until after midnight.
Is there another boat? There is, and it is easy to forget: the all-stops CityCat F1 calls at the same two pontoons one after the other, so it also links Bulimba and Teneriffe directly, in four minutes, about every quarter of an hour. When the F21 is in one of its gaps, the CityCat is still running, and on a weekday morning its first departure towards Teneriffe, at 05:36, even beats the KittyCat's.
And what does it cost? The same as any other Translink trip in Queensland at the moment: a flat 50 cents, by go card, paper ticket or contactless card tapped on and off. Children aged five to 14 ride free at weekends with a child go card, and under-fives always do.
There is one price for everyone: a flat 50 cents, the same fare Translink now charges for any trip on its network across Queensland, however far you go and however you pay. On this crossing that means tapping on and off with a go card, a contactless Visa or Mastercard, or a phone; paper tickets work too, but you cannot buy one on the boat.
Two groups pay nothing. Children aged four and under ride free at all times, and children aged 5 to 14 ride free at weekends if they carry an orange child go card. The usual half-price concession fares do not apply while the flat fare is in place — 50 cents is already below them.
| Adult or concession, any time | $ 0.50 |
| Child 5–14 at weekends, with a child go card | Free |
| Child aged 4 or under | Free |
Translink flat fare, read on 7 October 2026; Translink gives no end date Translink – 50 cent fares · 2026-10-07
The two pontoons sit almost opposite each other, about 320 metres apart, Bulimba on the eastern bank and Teneriffe on the western, which is why the KittyCat can do the crossing in five minutes including berthing. The CityCat calls at both on its run along the river between UQ St Lucia and Northshore Hamilton, so the two routes share the same stretch of water. In Perth, the South Perth ferry plays a similar role on the Swan, carrying commuters across the river on a public-transport ticket.
The pontoon at the river end of Oxford Street, shared by the F21 and the all-stops CityCat. Buses stop on Oxford Street right outside, at the stop Translink calls Oxford St at Bulimba Ferry (stop 33), which is served by routes 230, 231, 232 and 235.
On the western bank, again shared with the CityCat. The nearest bus stop is Teneriffe Ferry Skyring Tce, where routes 199 and 309 call; the 199 and route 60 even carry the ferry in their names, both running between West End and Teneriffe Ferry through the city and Fortitude Valley.
If the next F21 is a while off, check the CityCat. It stops at Bulimba and Teneriffe one after the other, takes four minutes between them and costs the same 50 cents.
On weekdays no F21 leaves Bulimba between 10:00 and 11:00, and none between 19:15 and 20:30. At weekends the gaps fall between 10:27 and 11:30 and between 19:14 and 20:14.
Contactless bank cards and phones work on Brisbane City Council ferries, but you still tap off at the other pontoon. Concession travellers and anyone changing to a bus should keep using a go card.
A muzzled or carried dog may ride from 8.30am to 3.30pm and from 7pm to 6am on weekdays, and all day at weekends, staying outside the cabin. Two dogs per person at most.
On those two nights the F21 keeps crossing until after midnight: the last boat leaves Bulimba at 00:44 and Teneriffe at 00:49. On other nights it finishes just before midnight.
The F21 is one of four cross-river routes that Brisbane City Council runs with a fleet of five small KittyCats, alongside the bigger CityCats that work the length of the river. The council operates the boats; Translink sets the fare and publishes the timetable, which is why the crossing shows up in the Translink journey planner like any bus.
The 50-cent fare is a Translink fare, and it stops at the edge of the Translink network. The boats from Cleveland to North Stradbroke Island, for instance, are private services with their own tickets — compare the Cleveland to Stradbroke ferry — and a go card is no use on them. Inside Brisbane, though, the F21 and the CityCat are about the cheapest way there is to cross the river.
On weekdays there are 66 crossings each way, every 10 to 20 minutes through the working day; the first leave Bulimba at 05:47 and Teneriffe at 05:52. Saturday and Sunday start later, at 06:17 from Bulimba.
Translink's timetable simply has no crossings then: the last weekday boat before the gap leaves Bulimba at 10:00, the next at 11:00. It does not give a reason. The CityCat F1 keeps running between the two pontoons during that hour.
Yes. The all-stops CityCat calls at Bulimba and then Teneriffe, taking four minutes, running 62 times in each direction on weekdays. The fare is the same 50 cents.
50 cents, whoever you are and however you pay. You can tap on and off with a contactless Visa or Mastercard or a phone; concession holders and anyone changing to a bus should stick with a go card.
Because the Saturday timetable runs past midnight, the last boat leaves Bulimba at 00:44 and Teneriffe at 00:49 just after midnight, on Sunday morning. Friday night ends at the same times; Sunday to Thursday the last crossings are 23:44 from Bulimba and 23:49 from Teneriffe.
Dogs travel only off-peak — 8.30am to 3.30pm and 7pm to 6am on weekdays, any time at weekends — on a lead and muzzled or in a carrier, outside the cabin. Bikes and scooters ride free if there is room, at the master's discretion.